Montana or bust....

[FlyBum]

It's that time of year again when we'll head Northeast to the great state of Montana. Was there for a jaunt last year, skipped it the year before, but fished it for at least a week 5 years in a row before that. Kinda know the lay of the land pretty good, well, at least the Western half. Been as far North as Whitefish and the Flathead and as far East as the Big Horn.

This year were going to be mainly fishing our three favorite rivers for more multiple days. They are the Blackfoot, Rock Creek, and the Big Hole. We don't really feel like traveling further East than Butte, but we may head down to Dillon for a night too. RA is going to see if his dad will be in Dillon around the time so we may crash with him for a night and get a shower. Also his buddy "Rooster" from his newest film may take us out to some wa-wa if he's not booked up. Either way we'll be there for around two weeks, but not sure if we'll fish our way home through Idaho. I have a float possibly lined up on the South Fork with another photographer, Andy Anderson. I also wanted to checkout the Henry's Fork if possible. We tromped around Silver Creek last time and SAW some big fish. Last time we were there together we fish over 12 different rivers in the 2 weeks, but this time around we are going to take it a little easier. I know that the Stones are just starting on the Blackfoot so we'll get another round of big dries!!

I guess I'm curious if y'all have any favorite places there, or any places that "we must fish" and.... if you have any pattens that you would like to see sticking out of a fish's mouth I'll fish em. Leaving Saturday, June 30.

Thanks ~ Jake & Deb

 

[bigsteel]

have a great and safe trip man!!!!!!

 

[steelhead_slayer]

Sounds like a good time. You guys have fun. I'll hold down the fort

 

[GDBrown]

I spent three years in Bozeman and found the Madison & Galatin to be my close friends! I spent most of my time on the Madison below the dam near Ennis. Lots of fishable water with plenty of access near the road. There is also a beautiful spring creek in the Madison Valley near Ennis that has some outstanding fishing with dries. Later in the year (August) I liked the Upper Madison above Hebgen Lake with Hoppers and streamers.

Enjoy your trip and report as you go if you can.

GD

 

[eggs]

Y'all are going to have a freaking blast! I am jealous!

 

[FlyBum]

I spent three years in Bozeman and found the Madison & Galatin to be my close friends! I spent most of my time on the Madison below the dam near Ennis. Lots of fishable water with plenty of access near the road. There is also a beautiful spring creek in the Madison Valley near Ennis that has some outstanding fishing with dries. Later in the year (August) I liked the Upper Madison above Hebgen Lake with Hoppers and streamers.

Enjoy your trip and report as you go if you can.

GD

Ya, we won't be heading that far East. The Shiz Show of Ennis is not really high on my list. In fact I'm looking for a little ditch with some hogger browns in it. At least that's my "dream stream"! Something along the lines of Flint Creek, maybe we'll hit that again, or Monture Creek. Y'all should check those out if you're ever in the area.

 

[lilsalmon]

Have fun!!!! I had to pass on a trip to Montana next week....now I wish I could have gone. Would have been up around Whitefish. Beautiful area. My dream is to fish in Glacier National Park....one day..............

 

[Van]

Awesome. Im jealous. Good luck and take lots of pics.

 

[Yohan]

I've spent quite a bit of time in MT the last 8 years. As you probably already know, you picked the 3 best rivers to be fishing right now. The Blackfoot is one of my all-time favorites! Coughstreamerscough. There are some big fish in that river (and the tribs). If you get bored go fish the west fork of the Bitt. That can be a fun river to fish this time of year if the flows are good. I think I'll be heading up there in mid-late august. Looking forward to the reports. Have fun and enjoy!

 

[FlyBum]

Ya, I went on a tying bender again last night and will later today!! My buddy Dave has given me access to his "Fly Collection" which has more bugs than most fly shops. So what ever I won't be able to tie in time for the trip will be obtained from him. I will be taking a small collection of tying materials as in years past to tie in the slower parts of the day. I just can't wait to get up there. Will be fishing the upper for possibly one last time tomorrow and get a giant Brookie or Brown before I leave out. My comp is down again so I'm at the public library downtown and hopefully will have a new comp arriving on Monday, so in the mean time......Take care all and I'll try and connect when ever I can......

 

[john montana]

Good luck man! I was born and raised in whitefish...know the flathead and glacier well, but my favorite MT river by far is rock creek. The gallatin is sweet too. For the record, I used to be a respectable trout angler! I hope you guys slay em!

 

[FlyBum]

Whitefish is a pretty nice town we were up there a few years back and fished some of the forks of the Flathead. I know that you were a trout junkie, but what I don't get is limiting yourself to one species almost exclusively.

 

[john montana]

Time for one. With two young kids I can't fish 3-4 days a week like I used to. I get a few trips a year and one day every other weekend or so. With the limit on time I try to focus on what I really love, which is sight fishing and stalking fish...hence the carp thing. I do chase coho in the fall and steelhead a time or two in the winter. I don't fish much in the winter, I sort of "bank" those hours for summer carping.

Still love trout, I just have caught them in every imaginable way, one of the benefits of growing up and living in MT. Anymore, fly fishing for me is less and less about what fish is actually on the end of the line, and more about what method gets that fish to eat. I am a sight fishing junkie through and through. I should move to FL!

 

[eggs]

I hear fishing through a wildfire is the ultimate rush!

 

[FlyBum]

We might be able to do some of this while we're there haven't got em' this way before. Got it all, sight fishing, the stock and still water!

 

[john montana]

Don't leave out the wanton killing for no real purpose...I did plenty of that as a kid but I grew out of it. To each their own and all that, but killing for the sake of killing isn't my cup of tea.

 

[n8r1]

Have fun over there!

We leave Tuesday for a week in Montana. We are staying on the east side of Flathead Lake. I'll be fishing the Swan and Flathead Rivers, so unless you change course our paths won't cross though.

 

[GDBrown]

I hear fishing through a wildfire is the ultimate rush!

Don't know if you folks remember the big fire they had in Yellowstone Park back in the nineties but, I flew over to Belgrade with friends.We fished up on the West Fork on the Madsion while the fire was being fought. We drove into West Yellowstone and could see the fire from the road when the smoke wasn't too bad. There was no way to fish in that smoke so we stayed below Quake Lake where we could breath and see the fly on the water.

GD

 

[FlyBum]

Well, here's a couple of pix from the trip!! Broke 3 rods in the process.

 

[steelhead_slayer]

Nice pics. Were the rods broke on fish?